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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29431101">Lost Screws</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAdorableTia/pseuds/TheAdorableTia'>TheAdorableTia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Queen (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Lost Objects, M/M, Rated M for sexual references, a dildo is involved</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:55:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29431101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAdorableTia/pseuds/TheAdorableTia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It felt like he’d been waiting forever for the first lost object to come to him. At the tender age of 15, he was beginning to be afraid that his soulmate either didn’t exist, or was far younger than he had imagined. It was a silly fear, and Roger knew that. It didn’t make him any less anxious about the whole thing. This was proof that they were out there somewhere waiting for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Deacon/Roger Taylor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Meant To Be: The Soulmate Challenge</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lost Screws</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello again! This fic is a part of The Clog Factory Meant To Be Soulmate Challenge. </p>
<p>I had the extreme pleasure of being teamed up with two of the most awesome people ever as my beta and artist!</p>
<p>Beta'd by the lovely, wonderful, and fantastic Honey_Rae_Pluto! After you read this please go check out her stuff as well. She's made me cry on more than one occasion with her work, so bring the tissues! She's also on tumblr under the name honey-rae-pluto!</p>
<p>The art was done by the ever so magical, loveable, and talented PumpkinLily! Please go check out her stuff on here as well, and more of her creations can be found on tumblr under the name pumpkinlilyao3!</p>
<p>And now, on with the show!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger stared at the small screw that had just appeared on his desk. The space it occupied had been empty one moment, and in a blink the little piece of metal had appeared. He reached out slowly, not sure if his eyes were deceiving him. He lightly placed his fingertip against the object to find that it was actually there. It rolled slightly with the brush of his fingertips, and Roger felt a large smile cross his face. He picked it up carefully between two fingers and held it up close to his face to study it more closely. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     It was small, tiny in fact, like it belonged to something delicate. It wasn’t like the screws people used to build large things like furniture or houses. This was more like the type one would find holding together a record player or radio. He grinned wide, and curled the little thing in the palm of his hand, transferring his warmth into the object as he held it close. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger studied the little screw more, his mind wandering. He thought about how his soulmate had lost it. It was easy to lose something so small, but why did they have it in the first place? What had they been doing with something like this? Had they broken whatever this had come from or were they fixing it? Were they taking it apart? The possibilities were endless. In any case, he was so glad that they had misplaced it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     It felt like he’d been waiting forever for the first lost object to come to him. At the tender age of 15, he was beginning to be afraid that his soulmate either didn’t exist, or was far younger than he had imagined. It was a silly fear, and Roger knew that. It didn’t make him any less anxious about the whole thing. This was proof that they were out there somewhere waiting for him. There was so much meaning tied to something so very insignificant. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     After a few moments of being lost in his thoughts, he jumped up out of his chair, and ran through the house he lived in with his mum and little sister. He stopped when he reached the kitchen where his mother was preparing dinner for the three of them. It wasn’t anything fancy, but their dinners never were, and Roger was ok with that. They were free, and that was what was most important. It was a much better life than they had been living six months ago. Even though he knew his mum sometimes struggled to make ends meet, all three of them were happier and safer now that they were out from under the thumb of his arsehole sperm donor.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Mum! I’ve got something!” He said excitedly, nearly bouncing up and down where he stood. He couldn’t wait to show her what had turned up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “You’ve got something?” His mother said, confusion written across her face. She wiped her hands on the dish towel she had hanging from her apron and turned to see her son beaming at her. Her expression softened at the sight. It had been so long since she had seen her boy so happy. It didn’t matter that he was in the midst of his teenage years, he was still her baby. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger trotted in and held out his hand, opening it up to show her the little screw that had appeared on his desk. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I was doing my homework and this just appeared on my desk!” He spoke with so much enthusiasm that Winifred found it hard to not join in on it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “That’s wonderful, love,” She said, wrapping her hands around his. She knew how much this meant to him. Roger had seen what not finding your soulmate had done for his mother and father, and he was determined to not end up the way that they had. He loved his mother to death, and without them ever being together he and his sister wouldn’t exist. That didn’t erase all the bad times. “You keep that safe. You never know when you’ll find your soulmate, and they might need it back.” She gave him a slightly teasing smile that Roger had definitely inherited from her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I will, mum. I promise.” He looked around and saw the set of empty mason jars that were lined up on top of a cabinet just waiting to be filled with any of his mum’s jams or other preserves. “I’ll need something to keep it in though, so I don’t lose it myself.” The connection only worked one way. If Roger lost this tiny screw, he would have to search it out the normal way. If he couldn’t find it, it would be lost forever.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He reached up on his tiptoes, and grabbed one of the jars. He handed it to his mother to open for him which she gladly did. He dropped the tiny screw in and put the lid back on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Thanks mum,” He said before leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek. He retreated to his room again and sat at his desk. He closed his eyes, held the jar up and rested his lips against the lid for a moment before setting it down on the back corner of his desk with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     It turns out that Roger’s soulmate had a definite penchant for losing small objects. It was almost comical sometimes. At least once a week from then on, a new little bit or bob would show up. Sometimes it would be on his desk, in his bed, or in his pocket. There was the one unfortunate incident where a screw had ended up in Roger’s desk chair at exactly the wrong angle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger had sat down without looking, but jumped up immediately with a cry of surprise mixed with pain when he felt the poke of the sharp object on his backside. He grumbled and grumped upon finding the new lost object, muttering something about ‘yeah, real funny babe,’ as he put the offending object in the jar along with other screws, washers, and wires that had found their way to him over the last few months. From then on, Roger made it a point to look before he sat anywhere, not wanting a repeat of that little accident. His mum had rushed up the stairs to find Roger rubbing his backside, and had a good laugh at his expense.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He didn’t know when he had started calling his soulmate by pet names. It just felt natural for him to do so. He felt closer to them in a way. It made them feel more real, if he could refer to them as something, anything, besides a vague idea in his head. He imagined them to be someone who was really smart, but just a little bit absentminded. The screws and washers and wires led him to believe they must like tinkering of some sort, but the fact that they seemed to lose parts on a regular basis meant they probably got distracted or might be clumsy in some way.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Later on, bigger things started to go missing. There was a set of pliers, and a screwdriver, and even a wrench showed up one time. Those boggled his mind. It wasn’t hard to lose a screw or a wire. They were small and could easily roll under furniture or get lost amidst many other objects, but tools? Those he kept in an old cigar box he’d found that had belonged to his grandfather. It was hidden away in a closet, and Roger commandeered it for his own uses. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     It was nearly two years after the first screw showed up that Roger woke one morning to find a guitar pick on the nightstand next to his bed. He stared blearily at it, a little confused at first. He hadn’t played guitar in a couple of years at that point. He had switched his focus to drums, and so didn’t just have guitar picks laying around his room anymore. He was more likely to find random drumsticks laying around.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     As his brain woke up more, a grin spread across his face. It was his soulmate’s pick. His soulmate must be learning how to play guitar, then. This fact made Roger’s heart swell as he tugged on his dressing gown and ran downstairs to grab another mason jar from the kitchen. He dropped the pick into the glass container with a little tink sound and put the lid back on it. He wanted this to be separate from the other bits. It felt like another side to his soulmate that he had discovered. The tinkerer, the musician. It was amazing the things you could learn about someone just from the things that they lost. At least if they weren’t boring.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Many of Roger’s friends didn’t have the same sort of connection with the lost objects that the blond had with his own. Then again, most of them only had things like pencils and spare change show up for them. Regular, normal things that all people lost, but that was it. Roger had a mason jar for the change his soulmate lost as well, but those showed up much less frequently than the other things did. Whoever they were made sure to hang on to their money, and Roger appreciated that. Maybe he would save all of the change until he found his soulmate, and then use whatever was lost to take them on a date. It probably wouldn’t be anything fancy, just a couple pints at a pub. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Lost things were supposed to stop showing up after two soulmates had found each other and bonded. Roger really hoped that was true. It would be nice to not have to look before he sat anymore for fear of getting skewered by tools or screws. Over time, less and less picks began to show up. Either his soulmate was getting better about not losing them, or he had switched instruments like Roger had. He started to notice that the picks themselves had changed. At first, they were the bog standard ones that were used for playing electric guitar. After a while though, they were heavier and thicker.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Bass guitar. Roger’s soulmate had switched from playing normal guitar to playing bass guitar. That would explain why the picks became thicker, and why there were fewer of them. His soulmate was playing with his fingers instead of using an implement to play. There was a sort of giddy excitement that washed over Roger at this realization.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     They were both part of the rhythm section. The thought shouldn’t have excited Roger so much, but he couldn’t help himself. It was a little bit pathetic for a 20 year old university student to be so enamored with someone he didn’t even know, but there he was. He was already in love. Most of the people around Roger at his university weren’t as keen on finding their soulmate as soon as he was. They were young, and trying to live their life to the fullest before settling down with their other half. It was true that Roger himself had done his share of faffing about, but none of that truly mattered in the end for any of them. His closest friends liked to tease him about it sometimes whenever the subject came up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “You really have to keep every single thing they lose?” Freddie said as he watched Roger drop a piece of wire into a glass jar that was nearly filled with more wires, screws, washers, and bolts. He would need to get another jar soon if his soulmate kept losing things at this rate. He gently placed jar number 4 on top of his wardrobe next to the other 3 and the cigar box that held a small collection of tools. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger gave a small smile, just for himself and his soulmate, before turning back around to face his friend. “I like to keep them. It makes me feel, I don’t know.. Connected to them.” The blond tried to explain to his best friend. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this kind of talk. While most people did keep some of the things their soulmate lost, they tossed out or used many of the objects if they weren’t deemed important or valuable.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Roger, darling, I could understand keeping some things.. But all of it? Soon enough your whole room will be filled with junk!” Freddie exclaimed with a gesture to all the bits and bobs and picks that filled the glasses on top of the wardrobe.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger just shook his head with a smile. “Oh ye of little faith.” He said quietly to himself before taking another look at his collection. The blond had always been a dreamer, always hoping for bigger and better things in his future. These tiny objects meant there was someone out there waiting for him, and he wasn’t going to throw away that gift.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger was used to these things showing up in his life. They were fairly normal. Things that were easy to lose because they were small. Even the tools he could begin to understand losing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     What Roger found sitting on the passenger seat of his van one morning on his way to university just after his twenty-first birthday defied all logic. He’d just gotten behind the wheel, and reached over to grab the pair of sunglasses he normally kept there without looking when he felt something that was decidedly not the shades. It was slightly squishy and shaped like a tube. Roger looked over and saw that his hand was wrapped around a bright neon green dildo. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “What the bloody hell?” He exclaimed and pulled his hand away like the sex toy was on fire. It bounced on the seat, and Roger looked around the interior of the van. The door had been locked before he got in, and his kit was still in the back. The windows of the front were rolled up and intact, so it wasn’t like someone had broken into the van.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “You must be joking, love.” He said incredulously while staring at the thing. After a few moments, a grin spread across his face and he began to laugh hysterically. His soulmate had lost a fucking dildo. Not just any dildo, but one that would probably glow in the goddamn dark. He grabbed the toy and stuffed it under his jacket once he’d regained control of himself again, and ran back up to the flat he shared with his best friend, and band mate Freddie. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger went over to his wardrobe and gently placed the rather impressive dildo next to the jars filled with bits, and wires, and guitar picks. It stood proudly amongst his collection of lost items, looking for all the world as if it didn’t belong. To the drummer though, it was perfect. His soulmate was smart, musical, and if the toy was any indication, a bit adventurous in the bedroom. There wasn’t a doubt in Roger’s mind that he already loved them. How could he not when everything they had lost just made the blond admire them more?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     For the rest of the day, a tiny smile stayed in the corners of Roger’s lips. He had to stop himself from giggling any time he saw something even remotely the same color as the dildo that had turned up on his passenger seat. It didn’t escape his fellow bandmates at their practice that afternoon when their drummer was much too cheerful for his normal attitude. It wasn’t that Roger was grumpy, but when it came to band practice he could be a bit touchy, especially now with their lack of a bassist. Six blokes had come and gone since they had reformed Queen from the ashes of Smile, and it had taken its toll on Roger.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     After a much needed mid practice cigarette break, Roger came back into the rehearsal space and sat at his drum kit to see that a folded up piece of paper was sitting on top of one of his toms. It hadn’t been there before, and no one had come or gone besides himself, Brian, and Freddie. His smile grew even as he shook his head. His soulmate had lost something else today. He picked up the paper and unfolded it to see that it was a flyer advertising a Uni bash the following evening. It was for another one of the nearby London colleges. Hope soared in Roger’s chest. If his soulmate had one of these, it meant they must live in London, and was probably attending one of the universities.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Bri, Fred.. There’s a party tomorrow night at Chelsea College.” He held up the paper for the singer and guitarist to see from where they stood nearby going over something or other that Freddie had written down. They turned their attention to the blond who had a mischievous grin on his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Freddie’s face lit up, always one who was ready for a party. Brian looked vaguely uncomfortable, probably because he had planned to work on a paper that night. Roger turned his grin into a look that reminded both of the other men of a kitten begging to be given attention or food. The singer and the guitarist both knew that the paper had to be something Roger’s soulmate had lost. If he’d seen it while he was outside, he would have immediately shown it to them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Freddie readily agreed to go with Roger, which made the blond smile again before both he and their flamboyant frontman turned their expectant gazes on the curly haired astrophysicist. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Come on Brimi dear, live a little.” Freddie said with all of the confidence of a man who always got what he wanted. This time was no different.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Ok, fine. I’m in.” Brian said on a defeated sigh. He knew when he was beat. There was no way he would be getting out of it. He could take extra time on the weekend to work on the paper. If the probable hangover didn’t kill him first.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger let out a whoop of victory and tapped his foot on the bass pedal a few times like applause. It was settled. The three of them would attend the bash at Chelsea College. Maybe Roger would find his mysterious soulmate while he was there. Maybe not. Either way, it was sure to turn out to be a good time. The blond had a very good feeling about it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The following evening after a short practice, the three men of Queen walked the short distance over to the hall at Chelsea College that was serving as the venue for that night’s party. There was supposed to be some sort of ID check at the front door, but it looked like the people running it were just waving people through. This didn’t bother Roger, Brian, or Freddie at all. What good was checking IDs if you had basically invited anyone and everyone from the city? The sound of popular music was being played over very large speakers, and there were lights dancing around the place like a disco. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Everywhere there were people talking and dancing and drinking. It felt less like a school party and more like an actual club. Roger had to give it to the people here at the college. They knew how to throw a party. The three men headed over to the drinks area, and were given three bottles of beer. The blond’s eyes scanned over the hall, looking for someone who sparked something inside of him. There was absolutely no record of anyone feeling sparks or other sorts of things when they met their soulmate, but maybe Roger was just a bit of a romantic like that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     They all split up, Brian having recognized some fellow students from Imperial, Freddie going directly into the middle of the dancefloor, and Roger just waded into the mix trying to find someone that he could have fun with that evening. Maybe his soulmate, or maybe not. He just wanted to have a good time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     It was some time later when Roger found his way back to the drinks table for another beer when he saw the singer standing near said table talking to a young man. The guy was smiling, showing a slight gap in his two front teeth, and crinkles at the edges of his eyes that Roger thought were endearing. He had long fluffy brown hair, and if Roger had seen him from behind, he thought he might have been a bird. As it was, the man was pretty in his own way, with a long nose and thin nicely shaped lips. It was hard to tell his eye color from here, but Roger thought they were some sort of green color.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Hey Freddie, see you’ve made a new friend.” Roger said as he sidled up to the pair after grabbing his new drink. He took a sip of the beer before holding out his hand in greeting. “Roger.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “John, pleasure to meet you.” John said as he took Roger’s hand in his own. John had large, warm, callused hands. It felt nice around Roger’s own, and his grip was strong. “Freddie was just telling me about you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger raised an eyebrow at his best friend at that. “Oh was he now?” He took another sip of his beer after their handshake ended. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Freddie rolled his eyes at Roger’s expression. “Oh nothing bad blondie. John and I were talking about music, and it turns out John plays bass!” Freddie said, now more excited. “I was telling him about the band and how we are in need of a bassist.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Oh really?” Roger lit up with a smile at John, who blushed a bit while he took a sip from his own drink. “Are you good?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I think I do alright.” John said with a shrug. “Was in a band back in secondary school. Band broke up when we left for university. I really just play for myself now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Would you want to come and play for us, dear?” Freddie said, clasping his hands in front of his chest in a pleading gesture. “At least come and audition to see if you’d be interested.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger looked at John with a pleading expression on his face. It mirrored the way that he and Freddie had looked at Brian the previous afternoon when begging him to come along to the party. John shifted on his feet, looking a little uncomfortable at the attention.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yeah, sure, why not?” He said with a slightly shy smile on his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Freddie clapped his hands, “We must celebrate, come on, show me more of those moves!” Freddie grabbed John’s hands and tugged him towards the dance floor. Roger laughed at the sight of the brunet being dragged along by Freddie. It didn’t seem too much of a hardship though, as once they were out in the throng, John began to bop right along with the flamboyant singer. They looked good out there. Freddie was naturally charismatic and moved well, and as shy as the young man seemed, he had no problems throwing himself into the dance. He moved his narrow hips , and swayed his arms to the beat with a smile on his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger had a good feeling about John. Maybe this shy, young man was just what the band needed. Hopefully, he played his bass as well as he moved around the dance floor. If he did, Roger was sure that they would finally be complete.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger had been right about John. After introducing the brunet to Brian, they’d agreed on a time for John to come and audition to join the band. The audition felt like a formality as John played for the other three men. He wasn’t just good, he was phenomenal. He played bass so naturally, like it was ingrained into him. His large, strong hands were perfect for the instrument. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The audition turned into a full on practice, and John took to the music like a duck to water. He picked up on the songs fairly easily, and even began making suggestions on certain parts for the bass lines. He was a natural addition to the group. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     John was fairly shy in the first few weeks he had joined the band, and Roger found that trait to be charming. He saw it as his personal mission to get the brunet to come out of his shell. He took on that challenge with fervor, doing everything he could to make the young man laugh or smile. The urge to make John feel comfortable around himself and the others was something that felt intrinsic to the blond.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     After a few weeks of the band being together, and Roger’s persistent goal to make the young man feel welcome, he’d finally succeeded in getting John to be more open with them. John and Roger both discovered they had more in common than they thought they would. They both loved cars, science fiction and they both had fairly juvenile senses of humor. While Roger was much more crass, John tended more towards sarcasm and dry humor, delivering sassy comebacks with a deadpan expression. It never failed to make Roger smile, even when they were directed at him. They both also had a penchant for pranking people. There was an unspoken agreement between the two of them that they would never pull them on each other for fear of what the escalation could do. Instead, they teamed up against their fellow bandmates, with a mad round of giggles after every successful prank.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     They threw peanuts into Brian’s hair while he practiced solos, mixed up Freddie’s notes for lyrics, and one time they pretended to abandon both of them at a club after a gig in a dingy pub on the opposite side of town from their flats. The looks of sheer panic on the two men’s faces when Roger and John rounded the corner to pick them up were priceless. The angry looks that followed were enough to make Roger and John burst into hysterical laughter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>      John had somehow managed to become one of Roger’s best friends right alongside Freddie and Brian in a relatively short amount of time. The blond felt an unbreakable bond forming between them that only grew stronger with every joke shared, every pint drank, and every note played. With John now solidly a part of Queen, they could truly begin their plans for dominating the world with their music. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Their plans would have to wait until after Christmas break, though. Deaky, as Roger had dubbed John on a vodka fueled night out, was returning to Leicester to see him mum and sister. The drummer was doing the same by going back to Truro at the same time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The closer the day of departure came, the more anxious Roger felt himself becoming. He was going to miss the other three men. They would only be apart for less than a week, but after seeing them nearly everyday for the past few months it felt like it would be an eternity. Especially with Deaky. Roger didn’t know exactly when the transition from the younger man being a good mate, to suddenly being a fixture in his own life had happened. He did know that it was going to hurt to not see him for so long.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger drove John to the train station the day they were both leaving, before he headed out on the long drive to Truro. When they got to the station, Roger hopped out of the van alongside John.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Rog, I can get my stuff out of the back by myself you know.” Deaky said with a grin when the blond insisted on getting John’s bag himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Doesn’t a taxi service usually unload the luggage for you?” Roger said with a cheeky grin as he passed the suitcase over to the brunet. He was teasing the younger man about driving him here. It really hadn’t been any trouble at all, and truth be told, Roger was enjoying being with Deaky for a bit longer before having to leave. The connection he felt to John was so strong, and sometimes Roger sometimes kicked himself whenever he saw his collection on the wardrobe or when a new lost object appeared. He’d been giving so much time to the younger man ever since he’d met him that he was starting to think about his soulmate less and less.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “You cheeky git.” John said with a playful shove to the blond’s shoulder. They both laughed, and Roger pulled John into a hug. The younger man hadn’t been used to the displays of physical affection that the others were prone to. Hugs and snuggles were commonplace among the members of Queen, and over time, John had gotten used to it. He even enjoyed it sometimes, as Roger had learned on the same night that John had earned his nickname.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Safe travels, Deaks.” Roger said with a pat to John’s shoulder once they parted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “You too Rog. Still picking me up when I get back?” John asked as he slung his bag over his shoulder. Roger was coming back the same day, and had agreed to pick him up from the same station.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I live to serve.” Roger said with an exaggerated bow. The two men laughed again, and John walked off into the station. Roger watched until he made it through the doors before hopping back into the van, and took off on the four hour drive back to Cornwall.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger both loved and hated going back home. He loved seeing his mum and his sister, and getting to spend time with them. He loved the seaside, and salt air that came off of the ocean. He loved being back in his teenage room, and all of the memories contained there. He hated how quiet the place was. He hated the long drive that it took to make it there. Roger loved to drive, but didn’t like doing it alone. He wished he could have brought one of the guys with him, but that wasn’t practical. They had their own families to be with at this time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The few days he was there were uneventful for the most part. He’d met Clare’s new boyfriend, who didn’t make too much of an impression on Roger. They clearly weren’t soulmates, but that was just a fact of life. Not everyone wanted to hold out for that someone, not like Roger did. He couldn’t begrudge his sister her fun, or chances at happiness. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The morning that he was getting ready to leave and go back to London was a different story. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     It started off normal, with Roger getting up in a grumpy state at having to be up early. By his standards anyways. It was still after dawn, but not quite mid morning, when the alarm clock at the side of his bed went off. He’d need to leave early if he wanted to get back to London at a decent time, and to pick John up from the train station. He’d gotten through his morning routine, and had returned to his room to finish packing, when he saw something out of place sitting on his old desk. Now that he didn’t live here anymore, the desk was clear of anything except for the old desk lamp. Something glinted on the writing surface as cold winter sunlight broke through his window. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. At least it hadn’t popped into the shower with him. He fully dressed before going over to grab the object, intending to put it in his pocket for safekeeping until he could get home and put it with all of the other things.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He froze on the spot when he got close enough to actually see what it was. It was a key ring. There was only one key on it, but that wasn’t what gave Roger pause. Attached to the key ring, was a charm that the drummer knew all too well. He knew it, because he had been the one to give the charm to its owner. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He’d gotten it on a whim one day after seeing it come into the stall where he and Freddie worked. It had been on a necklace then, and was a small thing. It was a thin silver rod that was only a couple of inches long with a small ball on the end. It had reminded Roger very much of a dick and balls, and had collapsed into giggles as he looked at it. He’d known right then that he had to give it to John, who would appreciate the humor.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     When he presented the pendant to John, he’d refused it at first, saying he wasn’t a necklace kind of person and he wasn’t sure he wanted to walk around with a dick hanging around his neck. Not to mention Roger’s questionable method of getting it for him. The blond managed to get John to take it, and the brunet had, placing it on his keyring. He said it would make him smile to know he was carrying around a secret cock everywhere he went.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger reached out with a shaking hand and picked up the key on the ring, and brought the pendant up in front of his face to examine it closer. It was the same one, Roger was sure of it. Now, with this pendant and key, he was sure that John was his soulmate. He pushed the thought out of his mind for the moment, trying to keep himself together. He shoved the key and charm into his jacket pocket. He was quiet through breakfast with his mom, telling her that he was just tired and anxious about the drive back. She didn’t look much like she believed him, but she let it go nonetheless.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Once he was in his van and on his way back to London, Roger allowed himself to think about John, and the reality of them being soulmates. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that all of the signs had been there from the very first day that John had joined the band.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Things began to fall into place as thoughts moved through his head. John had said he’d started to tinker with things at a young age, which made sense. Roger had started finding lost screws when John would have been 12 or 13. He’d begun playing guitar and bass a couple of years after that, when picks began to show up around him as well. John was studying electrical engineering, and he had a myriad of tools around him at all times. It wouldn’t be hard for him to lose a couple over time, especially in a dorm room with clutter everywhere or when using it at different places on side jobs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Then, Roger thought about the bright green dildo that had shown up in the passenger seat of this very van. That was fairly recent, just before they’d met John. Had he lost that in the move to his new dorm room? What was even more telling, was that if John owned a dildo, he had to have used it at some point. The thought sent a shiver through Roger, in a good way.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>    Roger was caught between excitement and anxiety as he wove down the country highways. This was it. He’d found his soulmate, the person he’d been hoping to find for years. John was the one who had lost that one tiny screw when Roger was 15 that had led him down this path. How was he supposed to do this? How could he tell John, one of his best mates, that they were soulmates? What if John didn’t believe him? Or even worse, what if he rejected him?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     It happened sometimes. Some people were so opposed to the idea of soulmates that even when they found them, they rejected them. John had never given any indication that he was like that, but the man was so enigmatic sometimes it could be hard to tell what he was truly thinking or feeling. The thought sent pain through Roger’s chest, and his eyes burned, but he blinked away the feeling. He wouldn’t know for sure until the time came. He would deal with whatever result came after it was done.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He tried to drown out his thoughts by turning up the radio in the van, which only worked to a certain extent. The chain smoking was also mildly helpful as the bracing cold air that came through the gap in the window he’d made to flick ash and blow smoke out of kept his mind geared towards thoughts of how much he hated the cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He arrived back in London a little later than he had expected, but not so late that he’d left John in the cold. He pulled into the station’s parking lot at the same time John’s train was due to arrive, and from all reports they were still running on time. Roger debated for only a split second about whether or not to go inside the station, but the pounding in his chest and the desire to see Deaky was overwhelming. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He took a deep breath and quickly walked across the car park, and into the station. He stayed in the large entryway, craning his neck to try and spot John. His hand slid into the pocket of his jacket and wrapped around the small pendant and key that was still stashed there. A swell of joy ran through him when he spotted the familiar head of brown waves making way through the crowd.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Deaky!” The blond called out and started to move quickly towards John, his heart beating faster with every step until he was almost running. There was a smile on John’s face as he recognized the blond coming towards him. Roger nearly crashed into the brunet in his bid to have the man in his arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Oof! It’s good to see you too Rog.” John said with a small laugh as he returned the drummer’s tight hug. “But we were only gone for a week, you’d think we hadn’t seen each other for years.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “It felt like it.” Roger said, but it was muffled against John’s shoulder. He blinked back tears that threatened to fall from his face. The feeling of John in his arms was perfect. There had always been a rightness to being near the bassist that Roger could never explain, but now he knew why. He didn’t need sparks to tell him that. It was just natural.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger reluctantly pulled away from John, and looked into the grey-green eyes of his soulmate. He wanted to tell him right then and there. He thought his heart might burst if he didn’t. This wasn’t the place for it though. Something like this would be shocking, and it was best left to a more private scene. He kept it together, just barely, as he led John back out into the street and to the van. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He helped John load his stuff into the back while both men chatted about the visits with their families. Once they’d settled into the front seat of the vehicle, Roger hesitated. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The smile that had been on John’s face fell when he saw that Roger was looking more serious than he had moments before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Is something wrong Rog?” John asked, concern spreading across his face. “Did something happen in Cornwall?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger felt his heart flutter at the considerate tone and look in John’s voice and face. He was so sweet, and caring and felt everything deeply. Sure, he could cut you in half with his wit, but it was always in fun.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yeah, you could say that..” Roger said slowly after a long pause. “There’s something I need to show you, back at my flat.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Ok?” John looked thoroughly confused. He’d seen Roger’s bags in the back of the van, and knew the blond hadn’t stopped there before coming to get him at the station. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger started up the van, and they took off. Roger listened as John talked about seeing his mum and sister, and the presents he’d gotten. He’d seen aunts and uncles and cousins of all sorts. Everyone had been dying to know how John was getting along in London, and about the band he had joined. Apparently his mother was a bit of a gossip, and was very proud of her son.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     When they arrived back at Freddie and Roger’s flat, the blond enlisted the help of the brunet to carry everything up the two flights of stairs. Roger’s mum had sent several packages of baked goods, and a few little gifts for the other members of the band. Nothing fancy, just some knitted pieces she had made for them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The closer they got to the flat, the heavier the keychain in Roger’s pocket felt, like it was weighing on him.Once inside, John unloaded his armful of treats onto the counters in the kitchen, while Roger put his bags in his room. He put his hand back into his pocket and curled his fingers around the cold metal, and took a deep, cleansing breath.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Deaky, can you come here?” Roger said loudly, the sound carrying across the small flat easily.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He heard the sound of John’s footsteps as he crossed the flat and appeared in the open doorway of Roger’s room. John had never been in here before. It wasn’t because he wasn’t welcome, he had just never had a reason to go there. He’d never seen Roger’s little collection of lost things. Even now, he was more focused on the blond than the contents of the small bedroom.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “What’s going on Rog?” John said as he looked the drummer up and down, seeing the nerves clearly painted across the man. He stepped further into the room, until he was standing right in front of the blond and crossed his arms over his chest, looking expectant.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “This morning,” Roger started, and then stopped. He closed his eyes and took another breath before speaking again. “This morning, just before I left Truro, something appeared on my desk.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Ok?” John still looked confused. “You found something your soulmate lost? Is it bad?” John said as he stepped closer. Sometimes the things lost told people about their soulmates, and not in a good way. It was astounding how many people lost drugs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “No! Not at all!” Roger said quickly, trying to alleviate some of the concern he could see on John’s face. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, the pendant and key clutched in his fist. “It was this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     He held out his hand and showed John the keychain resting in his palm. There would be no turning back now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     After staring at the thing in Roger’s hand for a moment, the brunet’s eyes widened as confusion turned to shock. John reached out slowly, like he was afraid the pendant might bite him and gently lifted it out of Roger’s hand. Like Roger had upon finding it, he held it up close to his face and studied it with a look of awe.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger watched with trepidation as John closed it in his fist and held it close to his chest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I have other things too.. all of it, actually. Everything you’ve lost. I kept it all.” Roger started to ramble after seconds of silence stretched on between them. He crossed the room, blushing as he brushed against John when he passed him. He reached up to the top of his wardrobe and took down a jar filled with screws and wires, and the cigar box with tools inside of it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     When Roger turned around, John was staring at the top of the wardrobe with cheeks blushed a bright pink. Roger looked up and smiled when he saw that the dildo was still standing proud among the jars.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yes, even that. I consider it the pride of the collection.” Roger said, trying to be cheeky and lighten the mood.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I wondered where that got to.” John said quietly, his face still filled with a bit of awe. It looked like the reality of the situation was finally settling in to him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     John took the cigar box that Roger held out to him and carefully opened it. He looked over the tools inside and pulled out a pair of pliers. He held them close to his face, and a smile finally graced his lips. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’m surprised you didn’t suspect any sooner. Look there, on the base.” He set down the box and moved closer to Roger and held up the tool for him to see that at the base of the head were tiny scratches that resembled letters. “Right here. J-R-D.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘J.R.D.’ John. Richard. Deacon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Roger really felt like an idiot at that moment. He tried to cover it up with a comeback, but he couldn’t fool John. His soulmate was too smart for that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “It’s tiny and barely legible!” Roger pouted now, trying to be cute and save face. The blond also didn’t have the best eyesight in the world, and John knew that. It didn’t stop him from smiling at the pouting drummer. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Whatever you say, Rog.” John said with the barest hint of a laugh in his tone. He placed the pliers back into the box and set the whole thing on top of a pile of textbooks on top of Roger’s messy desk. “It’s amazing I don’t have your entire room in my dorm. How do you find anything in here?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>      It felt like nothing had changed, even though their world had just turned upside down. John was talking to Roger the same way he always had. They were best friends, and this revelation hadn’t changed that at all. Relief rushed through Roger, and he released tension he hadn’t known he was holding out of his body with a smiling sigh. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The blond placed the jar of screws and wires back on top of his wardrobe with the others with a sense of finality and reverence. No more lost things would come to him now that he and John had found each other and recognized their bond.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’m sure you’ve gotten more than enough.” Roger said as stepped closer to John, standing less than a foot away from the younger man. He saw pink rise up in the brunet’s cheeks again, and his teeth gently bit down on his lower lip. “You probably have notebooks filled with half written songs, and more sunglasses than any sane person should own.” Roger reached out and rested his hands on either side of John’s waist. “And now… you have me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “You’re more than enough for anyone.” John’s voice was low and soft. His arms came up and wrapped around Roger’s shoulders, their faces so close that they could feel the warm puffs of air with each breath they took.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “You’re not just anyone, John.” Roger’s voice was just as soft as his soulmate’s had been. His eyes flicked down to John’s well shaped lips and then back up to his eyes. The blond hadn’t imagined that his soulmate would also be his best friend. He counted himself to be the luckiest bastard on the whole fucking planet. “You’re my best friend. You’re my soulmate, and I have loved you ever since the very first screw came to me. Every piece since then only made me love you even more.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     It was John who leaned in first, connecting their lips in a soft, tentative touch. The kiss was slow and sweet, a brush of lips that was almost innocent. It was unlike any kiss that Roger had ever had before in his life. It somehow stayed chaste, merely the brushing of their lips together before they pulled apart. The blond reached up and brushed the hair away from John’s face and rested his palm against the other man’s cheek.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I do have one question, love.” Roger smiled. He was no longer using his pet name for a vague idea of his soulmate. He was saying it to them, and the thought sent a rush of giddiness through him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yeah?” John said with grey-green eyes locked with blue. His head tilted into Roger’s hand, a tiny smile gracing his lips. A small flush had risen up in his cheeks when the drummer had called him by that little pet name.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “How in the bloody hell did you lose that fucking dildo?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading this silly little story!</p>
<p>Again, massively huge thanks to Honey_Rae_Pluto and PumpkinLily for putting up with me and my slightly obnoxious need for approval and validation with never ending patience and enthusiasm! Please go check out their works as well!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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